week ending 2 March 2012
FiT Rush
Businesses and households are rushing to complete solar electricity projects ahead of the latest cuts to feed-in tariff incentives, which will come into effect from tomorrow as part of the government’s efforts to ensure the popular scheme does not exceed its budget.
Business Green 2nd Mar 2012 more >>
Sewage Power
Sewage can be used to generate electricity using a new device revealed by scientists on Thursday. It combines a fuel cell with other technologies to convert waste water treatment stations into power plants, which the researchers believe could provide the power for entire water grids.
Business Green 2nd Mar 2012 more >>
Solar Acquisition
Two Somerset solar energy farms have been acquired by a £600 million asset management group for an undisclosed sum. The Foresight Group has acquired the 4MW and 2MW sites, in Puriton and Bridgewater, from US-based Element Power. Both are fully operational and generating electricity at pre August 2011 Feed-in Tariff rates. The acquisition brings Sevenoaks-based Foresight’s portfolio of ground mounted PV Solar assets in the UK to 16MW.
Western Morning News 2nd Mar 2012 more >>
Renewable Supermarket
Waitrose has beefed up its green credentials with the announcement that its latest store will be its first to run entirely using renewable energy. The John Lewis-owned firm will today confirm its new Stratford branch, overlooking the London Olympic Park, has become the first retail building in the UK to secure an ‘outstanding’ rating under the popular BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standard scheme.
Business Green 2nd Mar 2012 more >>
Smart Meters
A recent study by IMS research has revealed that over the next five years, more than £2.4 billion will be spent in the UK on a range of smart home energy management devices, including smart meters themselves and advanced in-home devices that can ‘talk’ to them. To help the UK’s ageing energy infrastructure cope with the demands of a modern, low-carbon grid, smart meters are set to be installed in the majority of British homes by 2019.
Solar Power Portal 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Farming Wind
The UK’s leader in renewable energy has launched a series of roadshows across the UK to help farmers and rural businesses beat the deadline for wind subsidy cuts. The Government is considering reducing Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) for small wind turbines between 1.5 and 15KW by 25 per cent – a move that could cost rural businesses up to £70,000 over the lifetime of a turbine on their land. A government consultation is being run until April 26, with a view to introducing the new rates from October. To help people beat the deadline and to give them the full facts about the benefits of wind power, Myriad CEG Wind has set up special roadshows across the country.
Farming UK 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Gatwick Solar
Over 200 panels installed just 150 metres from the main runway could pave way for a larger system later in the year. The 50kW PV system installed just 150 metres from the main runway by Orta Solar last month is said to be the first in the UK to be installed at an airport.
Business Green 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Lights to stay on
A new white paper published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance has predicted that Government’s renewable energy policies for Britain will ensure that the country will not suffer an electricity crisis. Over the coming years, 19GW of nuclear and fossil-fuel capacity will come offline in the UK. Sceptics have maintained that the decommissioning of such a large proportion of the island’s capacity would leave a huge shortfall in the national grid that could lead to rolling blackouts sweeping the nation, plunging millions of homes in the dark. However, the research company has predicted that by the end of 2016, the UK will build more than 30GW of power-generation capacity; 10GW of which will be fired by natural gas with the remaining 20GW provided by solar, wind and biomass. Bloomberg predict that an average of 1.6GW of solar PV will be added each year up to 2016, in spite of the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s newly-announced FiT cuts and cost-control mechanism.
Solar Power Portal 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Brixton Solar
Plans to reduce the cost of energy for Londoners living in social housing by installing solar panels have taken a leap forward after two separate schemes were launched in Brixton and Westminster. Community group Repowering South London is set to shortly open a 40-50kW solar photovoltaics (PV) project on the roofs of the Loughborough Estate in Brixton, one of the UK’s most economically deprived areas. Meanwhile, Westminster City Council has also this week completed the first of 10 PV projects on council houses in West London in partnership with housing provider CityWest Homes. The first £1.5m PV installation on roofs on the Amberley Estate in West London is capable of generating up to 21.6 kilowatts of power
Business Green 1st Mar 2012 more >>
European Efficiency
The last week has generated a great deal of noise around energy saving, including various calls from green groups and businesses for binding targets, and a milestone vote in the European Parliament on Tuesday allowing MEPs to start negotiating the Energy Efficiency Directive with the EU Council. If adopted in anything like the draft form put forward this week, the directive could also have a drastic impact on how seriously businesses take energy efficiency, requiring many of them to audit and improve energy use on a regular basis. The agreement states that from July 2014, all large enterprises would have to hire qualified and accredited experts to audit their energy use every four years, providing a launchpad for energy users to cut their consumption and for the energy services industry to grow. Another clause states that 2.5 per cent of the total floor area of public buildings with an area of more than 250 metres squared would have to start retrofitting by summer 2014, or find alternative ways to achieve equivalent energy savings, such as giving priority to “deep” renovation projects. To give an idea of the cost benefits of these kinds of actions you only need to glance through the archives of recent BusinessGreen news stories, revealing just this week how UK industrial and manufacturing firms could save up to £1.4bn a year by simply switching to new lighting technologies, or save up to £400m a year by taking basic steps to improve the efficiency of their boilers and hot water systems.
Business Green 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Solar Roof Mounting
A MILTON Keynes company has installed the first of what it calls a revolutionary kind of solar panel roof mounting system. Conergy UK, appropriately based in Luminous House, South Row, has the new system, which uses a vacuum to hold the frame down instead of screws. The new Solar Famulus Air mounting took two weeks to install on the roof at the Nationwide Building Society HQ in Swindon.
Milton Keynes Citizen 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Wind-powered crisps?
PLANS to erect a wind turbine at the Walkers factory look set to be given the green light next week. Walkers want to set up a single 125metre high turbine at their West Pimbo site in Up Holland. Council officers have advised West Lancashire Borough Council’s planning committee to approve the proposals at the meeting on Thursday, March 8.
Ormskirk & Skelmersdale Advertiser 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Solar in Plymouth
AN OPEN day is being held on Saturday to demystify issues around solar energy installations including Government plans to slash compensation to renewable energy producers. Modbury based renewable energy firm Eco NRG Ltd will give information about the suitability of homes for solar energy and what the Government’s proposed changes to the feed-in tariff (FIT) mean. Ministers intend to reduce FIT rate to 21p per Kwh for installations carried out after this Saturday.
Plymouth Herald 1st Mar 2012 more >>
Solar Churches
More than 150 churches across the country have benefitted from the installation of solar panels, thanks to renewable energy provider Ecotricity. The Stroud-based energy supplier has installed over 100 solar arrays in the South West since January 25. The Church of England has also announced that it has chosen Ecotricity as its preferred supplier for every parish in the UK, as part of the Church’s new ‘Parish Buying’ scheme.
Solar Power Portal 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Energy Management 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Edie 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Business Green 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Solar Innovation
Guildford-based energy solutions company, Naked Energy, has won an award for its innovative new solar panel which generates both electricity and hot water through a hybrid design. The firm has won the European Institute of Technology Venture competition, receiving a cheque for 15,000. This comes just a few months after Naked Energy was named a National Finalist in the Shell Springboard Winning Ideas competition, which secured a “start-up” pot of £40,000 to help the company take its technology to market.
The Manufacturer 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Montrose Station
Scotrial has announced plans to install a wind turbine at Montrose Station.
Breaking Travel News 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Easy FiT
The Easy FIT Co has launched a new service that aims to help both installers and customers register for feed-in tariff (FiT) payments. The company believes that the task of completing and submitting the necessary FiT paperwork can often be a tedious, confusing one. Frequently, the five day deadline for registration after installation completion is missed, causing customer dissatisfaction.
Solar Power Portal 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Micro-CHP Boilers
GREEN technology group Energetix today said it planned to raise £4.6m through a share placing to help it develop its boiler technology. Capenhurst-based Energetix says it will use the funds from the placing to launch new company, Kingston Energy, to supply Kingston “microCHP boilers”. The Kingston boileruses heat produced to generate electricity in the home. The company will provide free Kingston boilers to its customers “in return for a commitment to purchase gas and electricity for a fixed period”.
Liverpool Daily Post 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Business Desk 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Doncaster Small Wind
Harbon Wind Turbines is an independent UK wind turbine manufacturer based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The company supplies units with rated power of around 60kW to farmers and small businesses with relatively low energy requirements.
Energy Management 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Solar Skills
A COLLEGE is launching a new range of courses to train people to install solar panels. Peterborough Regional College, in Park Crescent, is a member of the National Skills Academy and has recently become a BPEC-approved centre to deliver a training and assessment course in photovoltaic systems. The BPEC Photovoltaic Solar (PV) programme will include a mix of theory and practical assessments over the three-day course.
Evening Telegraph 29th Feb 2012 more >>
MCS Database Problems
The MCS database has been experiencing delays processing applicants due to a late surge in demand, created by the impending March 3 deadline. Users have reported severe delays in the application process since 23 February, with some users reportedly being unable to access the database completely. The delay in the database is the latest in a series of failings from the MCS website that struggled to cope with the increased level of demand last December. In response to the December outage, the Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker, reported that new servers and support lines for the MCS website were quadrupled to help deal with 9000 new applicants a day. MCS has acknowledged the problems faced by installers trying to access the database, stating: “Please note that due to a high volume of installations being registered on the MCS database, the MCS certificates are currently being held in a queue before being released from the system. The held certificates should now be indicating a pending status. At the moment certificates are taking up to 2 hours to be received after finish has been clicked when an installer registers the installation.”
Solar Power Portal 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Green Deal
Greg Barker: Green Deal will take energy efficiency from boring to bling
Business Green 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Private landlords will today call on the government to provide greater clarity over the future of the Green Deal energy efficiency scheme, warning it could fail to achieve its full potential unless significant steps are taken to improve the proposed initiative. Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker will today tell the British Property Federation (BPF) Residential Conference in London that the Green Deal is as much designed to boost the UK economy as it is to drive the sustainability agenda.
Business Green 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Newcastle Solar
A RENEWABLE energy business has expanded its reach to Newcastle which could turn into a £10m industry in five years. Darlington-based solar supplier Synergy Solar has made Tyneside its fifth franchise operation after Durham, Sunderland, Birmingham and Reading. It is also planning have another seven branches by the end of the year including Hull and York, with negotiations taking place for a possible further site in Bournemouth.
The Journal 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Wrexham Solar
A RIDING centre for the disabled has gone green with the installation of solar panels to generate electricity.Buckley-based AT Green Electrical completed the installation of the 8kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system at Clwyd Special Riding Centre in Llanfynydd, near Wrexham.
Daily Post 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Boiler Efficiency
UK businesses and public sector bodies could save up to £400m a year by taking simple steps to improve the efficiency of their boilers and hot water systems, according to two new reports from the Carbon Trust.
Business Green 29th Feb 2012 more >>
Small Wind
The global small wind turbine market grew from 105.9 MW in 2006 to 275.8 MW in 2010. GlobalData’s recent report – Small Wind Turbines (less than 100kW) – Global Market Size, Analysis by Power Range, Regulations and Competitive Landscape to 2020 – predicts even higher growth in the coming years, spurred by increasing incentives announced by various governments and by growing end user awareness. Proven Energy Ltd of the UK was in fifth place, with a global market share of 3.9%, throughout 2010. In late 2011, however, the company entered receivership after the discovery of a technical fault in its flagship turbine model, the Proven 35-2.
Renewable Energy World 28th Feb 2012 more >>
Farmers’ Co-operative
A farmers’ co-operative, based on the Black Isle, Scotland, is spearheading a drive to develop locally owned small scale wind energy projects across the Highlands. The Highland Business Services Ring Ltd (HBS), in Tore, is better known for using its buying power to help its 1,100 members get better terms when they buy fuel or tractor parts.But now with support from Highland LEADER and the Co-operative Enterprise Hub, they have turned their attention to a different kind of harvesting by encouraging farmers to take advantage of the Scottish region’s wind resource.
Bioenergy 28th Feb 2012 more >>
Farmers Guardian 24th Feb 2012 more >>
Bristol’s Solar Potential
Bristol City Council has become the first local authority in the country to release a detailed solar radiation map. Bristol residents can now estimate whether their house is suitable for solar panels at the click of a button. Residents are being encouraged to enter their address on the interactive solar map to easily understand the solar potential of their property.
Solar Power Portal 28th Feb 2012 more >>
Kingspan
London-listed insulation and building products firm Kingspan paid 2 million ($2.7 million) to acquire Proven Energy from receivership, according to its annual results released on Monday.
Environmental Finance 28th Feb 2012 more >>
Lotto Cash for Community Centres
A Northern Ireland community organisation will be able to harness natural wind energy and cut the energy costs at its centre thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund. St Joseph’s GAC, Craigbane, is one of 62 groups across Northern Ireland awarded grants totalling £621,268 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Energy Efficient Venues programme.
4NI 28th Feb 2012 more >>
Solar Recycling
Modbury-based green energy company, Eco NRG has signed up to European scheme to recycle photo-voltaic solar panels. As one of only eight companies in the UK to have volunteered to take part in PV Cycle, it will run a free collection and recycling point for used solar panels.
Western Morning News 28th Feb 2012 more >>
Community Co-operative
A Cornwall village that installed solar panels as part of Government’s Low Carbon Community Challenge is set to distribute profits of £20,000 amongst the local community. Ladock’s low-carbon project has overseen the installation of a range of renewable energy technologies across the parish, including: 12 sets of photovoltaic panels, five sets of solar thermal panels, two biomass boilers, two ground source heat pumps and a wind turbine. A large proportion of the installations are sited on prominent community buildings such as the schools, the village halls and the pubs.
Solar Power Portal 27th Feb 2012 more >>
Ceramic Fuel Cells
A rise in subsidies in Germany and the UK for micro power and heating (m-CHP) installations, such as the company’s BlueGen solution, combined with other developments in Europe, have bolstered the popularity of Ceramic Fuel Cells’ products. Based on its order book of 476 units, the company projects that its revenues and cashflow will continue growing in the coming quarters.
Cogeneration 27th Feb 2012 more >>
European Efficiency
The European Union (EU) has been urged to step up its ambition for making homes and businesses more energy efficient, following the release of a major report from the University of East Anglia (UEA) highlighting the economic benefits that would accrue from more ambitious energy efficiency goals. Researchers Bruce Tofield and Martin Ingham from the Build with CaRe project at UEA, today launched a report recommending EU member states to set an ambitious goal to reduce energy demand by 40 per cent by 2050, primarily through improvements to the efficiency of new and existing buildings.
Business Green 27th Feb 2012 more >>
Solar Power Portal 27th Feb 2012 more >>
Shropshire Solar
STYLES & Wood has landed a two-year framework agreement with Shropshire Council for the supply and installation of solar photovoltaic panels.
Business Desk 27th Feb 2012 more >>
Solar Milestone
New figures edge the UK’s total installed capacity over the 1GW landmark. The UK solar market has surprised even the most optimistic of predictions by reaching the milestone in only 22 months, after an extremely successful uptake of Government’s feed-in tariff scheme. Gaynor Hartnell, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association, commented on the industry’s achievement, stating: “Solar really deserves recognition in the Government’s renewable energy strategy now. With the price coming down like it is, there is no reason for it not to fill a prominent part in UK energy for 2020 and beyond. It needs re-examining in light of this milestone.”
Solar Power Portal 24th Feb 2012 more >>
Absolutely
Absolute Solar and Wind, headquartered in Glasgow, is expanding across Scotland with new premises in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.
Building Talk 24th Feb 20122 more >>
ADF Online 1st Mar 2012 more >>